Works in Progress
by Gravity-Chan
Summary: An idea inspired by someone else on here. This is a collection of potential story openers and first chapters, to see how people like my new stories. I'll update it whenever I get a new idea. Rated T for safety.
1. Hidden Potential

**This is basically a story to keep track of all my story ideas. When I write one out, I'll post it here. Most will be Nalu with some Mesdy and Gale in between, maybe Gruvia. The purpose of it is to get people's opinions on which stories they want me to write, then when I have an open space I can write one of them. So please read&review and tell me what you think! ****This first story is called Hidden Potential.**

**Summary: Wendy Marvell has never had an easy life. Her parents were poor and her mother was sickly; Wendy is her only living child. When a horrible accident leaves Wendy an orphan, she decides to run away rather than go to the orphanage. She is rescued by a young man, a teenager, who takes her to the dragon Grandine. But there is something hidden deep inside of Wendy that even the sky dragon fears her daughter will not be able to overcome.**

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The faint sound of a cricket's chirping filled the quiet air of the small, dark town. The crescent moon cast little light on the sleeping houses as it shone dimly amid the stars in the sky. A faint breeze made the few trees in the town shiver, it's crisp cold bringing promises of winter.

A single figure moved through the streets, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if trying to shield her body from the cold. Her long blue tresses were dirty and matted with blood, and she was breathing heavily as she struggled down the recently repaved road. She stopped at the edge of an alleyway and sat down on the street, leaning her back against the wall of the building and hiding her head in her arms. Her body shook with sobs and she clutched the sleeves of her dress tightly, fisting the fabric in her hands.

"Run, Wendy!" The memory came into her head almost instantly. She stood and continued to stagger on. She knew that no matter what, she had to keep moving. She couldn't stop now.

"Wendy, go now! They'll kill you!" the voice echoed dully in the girl's head, making her cringe and causing fear to course through her body. She sped up her pace, heading for the line of trees she could see approaching. She didn't make it far, however. Spots swam in the corners of her vision, and she fought to stay on her feet. She ducked into an alleyway, letting the dark shadows hide her from the outside world. She collapsed against the side of the alley, utterly exhausted. She clutched at a hole in her side, where blood leaked steadily, covering her hands in the sticky red liquid. This is it, I'm going to die, she thought. The thought only frightened her more, and she began to cry once more, sobbing helplessly into her already wet sleeves.

They were gone, all gone. How could a small girl's life change in such a short moment? Less than an hour ago, she had been at home, sleeping. Her parents were in bed together, and the family was peaceful. She was happy and healthy, full of life. Now that life was leaking out of her, onto the dirty alley floor. Her smile was gone, replaced by a grimace of pain and fear.

Wendy cringed as the painful memories returned, still so fresh in her head. She held handfuls of her hair, her face twisting in pain. She didn't want to remember. She wanted to forget everything that had happened to her in the past hour. She wanted to forget the screams of horror, the piercing pain and the figures that had brought it all upon her. The shadowy men that had killed her parents and then tried to kill her. She closed her eyes tight, knowing that it would only be a short time before death claimed her and she could be with her parents again.

"Are you alright?" Wendy flinched physically and her head whipped up in fear at a stranger's voice calling out to her. She shivered as a boy approached her. He looked about ten or so years older, nearly an adult, with neatly cut black hair that contrasted his pale skin and an odd x-shaped scar wrapped around the left side of his left eye. His green eyes reflected the concern he felt as he approached the terrified girl.

"Stay away!" Wendy cried, her voice shaking with fear. She closed her eyes tight and imagined she was invisible, gritting her teeth, but when she opened them again, she was still there, and the strange teenager was that much closer to her.

The boy kneeled down next to her and tentatively reached out to her. Wendy hid her head and her knees and desperately wished she were anywhere else but here. She felt a hand touch the side of her head, right at her hairline. She let out a whimper at his touch.

The boy ran his fingers once through the frightened girl's hair. "It's okay," he soothed. "I'm not going to hurt you." he gave her a smile, even though he knew she wasn't looking at him. "My name is Mest," he continued, using a fake name rather than his real one, simply because he liked Mest better. "What's your name?"

Wendy peeked out from under her arms, wrapped securely around her head. The fear was still very much alive in her eyes, but a flicker of confusion was noticeable amidst her fright. For a long moment she said nothing, simply stared at the near-adult trying to comfort her. She felt strange, like she was both afraid of the boy and seeking his comfort at the same time. "W-Wendy," she answered finally, her voice a whisper and nearly inaudible.

"That's a pretty name," Mest said with a kind smile. "What are you doing out here? Won't your parents be worried that you're not at home?"

Wendy felt tears in her eyes again and she looked down, hiding her face from Mest. "I don't have any parents anymore," she answered in a shaky voice. "They were killed by bad men."

Mest froze, his heart clenching at Wendy's words. What a sad thing for a girl, who couldn't be more than seven years old, to have to go through. he took a deep breath and forced himself to think rationally. He paused, observing her for a moment. He could sense a great magical energy in her, though she didn't seem aware of her powers yet. Perhaps she hadn't been raised a mage. "I know someone who can help you," he offered. "She's really nice and strong. In fact, I think she's been looking for you."

Wendy looked up again, wiping her eyes on her sleeves. "Really?" she whispered. Someone was looking for her? Was it someone she knew, perhaps a family member? "Who is she?"

"Come with me," Mest answered gently, and stood up, offering his hand to the young girl. She reluctantly took it, allowing Mest to pull her to her feet. Only then did he notice the small puddle of blood she had left behind, and spotted the gash on her right side. He flinched at the sight; it looked like a painful wound. "My friend will know how to help you with that as well," he said, gesturing to the tear in her side. He didn't let go of Wendy's hand as he led her out of the alleyway.

Wendy seemed reluctant to follow Mest, which the boy understood. He murmured reassurances to her as he pulled her along, and eventually Wendy stopped looking back at the town she had lived in. Instead she looked up at Mest, her savior, and clung tightly to his hand, much larger than hers, but protecting, not intimidating.

He led her towards the forest, through the maze of trees. It was obvious that he knew this place. After what seemed like hours, but may have only been a few minutes, he reached a large opening in the side of a rocky cliff. Wendy paused, staring at the dark opening fearfully, but Mest gave her a reassuring smile and led her inside, and Wendy followed reluctantly, keeping close to Mest.

Mest led Wendy though a long, winding tunnel, which sloped upwards until it stopped and rose sharply, a wall of stone. "I'm going to have to teleport us now," he warned. "Just keep holding my hand, okay?"

Wendy nodded wordlessly and clutched Mest's hand tighter, afraid of being left alone now that she had found a friend. Mest focused for a moment, touching the side of his head with the hand that wasn't holding Wendy's, and he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were on top of the sheer clifftop. Wendy shivered, as it was colder up here that it had been below. Unlike the town or the cave, however, this place was large and spacious, and it was covered in grass, trees and flowers. it was the middle of spring, so the flowers were in full bloom.

Mest released Wendy's hand as she stared at the beautiful field, causing the girl to look up sharply, afraid he was going to leave her. Mest knelt down and touched Wendy's shoulder lightly. "I'm going to talk to my friend, okay?" he said. "Wait here, and I promise I'll be right back."

Wendy looked down at her feet and nodded obediently, clasping her hands together. "Okay," she whispered in response, her child's voice still shaky and fearful.

Mest squeezed Wendy's shoulder once before standing up again and walking to a ring of trees a little ways away, leaving Wendy to stare at the flowers. She bent over and pulled a small yellow flower from the ground, and for the first time that day, she gave the faintest of smiles.

Mest returned after a few minutes and waved at her to come to him. Immediately she dropped the yellow flower and rushed to the teenager, taking his outstretched hand

once more. He walked with her to the ring of trees he'd been in before. "Don't be scared," he said, and for a moment, Wendy was confused, until she saw what was waiting for her inside the trees.

Wendy stared, wide-eyed, at the creature in front of her. She was huge, easily sixty feet long, with an elegant neck and a pointed snout. Her dark eyes stared down at her, her long scaly tail flicking idly. A pair of wings folded over her back, the same cloud-gray color as the rest of her skin.

Mest squeezed Wendy's hand. "Wendy, this is my good friend Grandine," he introduced. "She may look intimidating, but she's very nice."

"She's a dragon," Wendy answered in awe. For some reason, the dragon didn't frighten her.

Grandine lowered her head to get a better look at the blue-haired girl in front of her. She smiled, as much as a sixty-foot dragon could smile. "Welcome, child," she rumbled in a strangely melodic voice.

"H-Hello," Wendy replied, shrinking back a bit out of shyness rather than fear. Mest glanced down at her and grinned. "I knew it. She can speak dragonese," he said. "I knew it from the moment I sensed her magic."

Grandine nodded. "Very good. That eliminates a communication problem," she said.

"Dragonese?" Wendy asked, glancing up at Mest curiously.

Mest nodded. "It's the language of the dragons," he explained. "Some can learn it, but there are a few who are born knowing the language, even if they don't know it." he paused and ran a hand through his hair. "I learned to speak it from a young age, from my father. When I met Grandine, we became friends. There aren't many humans who speak their language."

Wendy nodded in understanding. "Wow," she murmured, glancing up at Grandine again. She felt a little flutter in her heart as she did so, something about just seeing the dragon made her feel excited.

Grandine glanced down at Wendy once more. "Did you learn any magic, child?" she asked. Wendy shook her head, and the dragon smiled. It was perfect; a young girl who could learn her Sky magic and was able to speak her language. Wendy was definitely the girl she had been searching for. "How would you like to stay with me? Doranbolt told me about your… predicament. I can teach you magic, to fight and to heal. I would give you a home and in return you could pass on my legacy."

Wendy's eyes widened. "Magic?" she repeated. Her parents had been mages, but she herself had never taken the time to learn.

"I told you not to call me Doranbolt!" Mest spoke up, frowning. "I'm Mest Gryder now, remember?"

Grandine chuckled at Mest's antics. "Doranbolt is your given name, and I will call you as such," she answered, and turned back to Wendy. "Yes, magic of the sky. Mest has his own home, but he visits often, so you will see him a lot."

Wendy looked excited for a moment, then her face fell and she lowered her head, a worried and thoughtful look in her eyes. "Can I… really do that?" she murmured. "Just leave my town and live with a dragon?"

"It's your decision," Grandine answered. "But I do hope you'll consider it. I've been looking for someone of your talents for a long time now."

****Wendy looked up again, a bit skeptical, but then her expression hardened into determination. "Alright, I'll do it!" she decided. "I'll stay, and learn magic!"


	2. I Will Find You

**I love this idea. It's cute and has potential to become something interesting, I feel. Of course the plot isn't fully formed, this is just an idea, but I want to post a sort of "first chapter" in case people like it. Please review and tell me what you think, even if it's negative! This story is called "I Will Find You" as a emporary title which may change if I decide to publish this.**

**Summary: Lucy was seven years old when she met a boy at an adoption center. However, just when she was beginning to understand him, he is adopted and taken far away. Eleven years later, Lucy finds a picture of her childhood friend and first love in a Sorcerer Weekly magazine, and decides to become a famous mage in order to find him again. In order to do so, she joins the local guild Sabertooth as a Celestial Spirit mage.**

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"Natsu! Come back here!" A tiny blond girl screamed angrily. She ran across a small field as fast as her short legs could carry her. Her feet crunched the grass and dry leaves underfoot.

A pink-haired boy glanced over his shoulder from where he was running ahead of her, a doll clutched in one hand. "Catch me if you can, Lucy!" he called in reply, sticking his tongue out at the little girl.

Lucy pouted, her face scrunched up in annoyance as she chased the boy in front of her, who ran into a nearby building. Lucy followed behind him, her breath coming in heavy pants. She paused at the doorway. "Wait!" she cried frantically, but Natsu was already gone, disappearing up the stairs.

"What did Natsu do this time?" A red-haired girl crouched down next to Lucy. She looked a few years older than Lucy, perhaps eight or nine, and her amber eyes were narrowed slightly. "Should I punish him for you?"

Lucy shook her head. "It's okay, Erza," she answered, frowning deeply. "I'm going to find Natsu and give him a piece of my mind!" she rolled up her sleeves dramatically as she stomped to the stairs. "Natsu, you're going to get it!" she yelled.

Erza chuckled, amused by the little girl's ferocity. Yes, Natsu would certainly get it. Lucy was one of the more fearsome of the young children at the orphanage they all lived at, and Natsu was the only one who was brave - or stupid - enough to tease her. Most of the other kids her age had given up long ago.

Lucy climbed the stairs loudly and walked down the hallway, which was flanked on both sides by rows of tidy bedrooms. Well, mostly tidy. She paused when she came to a closed door with a neat sign stating the name "Natsu" on it. Natsu was one of the only kids at the orphanage who didn't have a last name. He had been found on the orphanage doorstep as a baby with a note saying "Take care of him" and that was all.

Lucy tried the doorknob, but of course the door was locked. "Natsu, open the door!" she screamed, pounding her tiny fists on the smooth wood. "You coward! Come and face me like a man!"

"Only if you come with me somewhere!" Natsu replied stubbornly from his safe haven inside the locked bedroom. Just as long as the orphanage owner didn't come, Lucy could yell all she wanted and get nowhere.

Lucy paused in her pounding for a moment. "Where?" she asked, her voice softening a fraction. "Not anywhere gross, like a mud puddle or a worm farm!" The only thing Lucy hated more than when Natsu teased her was when Natsu played tricks on her. The two had a unique relationship. They were friends, but only at times. Natsu liked to tease Lucy a lot, and in turn Lucy would get angry and violent. It was the only way she knew how to settle her problems, having been raised in an orphanage from such a young age, with with not many older children to straighten her out.

"Just up to the roof," Natsu pressed. "I promise, nothing gross!"

Lucy thought for a moment, folding her arms. "Alright, fine, but give me Michelle back!" Michelle was Lucy's favorite doll, and she wasn't about to let her become a part of Natsu's permanent mess. His room was never clean and always smelled faintly of smoke. Perhaps because of his odd magic.

Natsu was a fire mage, and an oddly powerful one at that. His powers were still in the early stages, however, and he was forbidden from using them without a proper supervisor to make sure nothing bad happened. Lucy was a also a mage, though she had much more practice than Natsu, and she always carried a keyring of her three Celestial Spirit keys with her, attached to the belt loop on her jean skirt.

Natsu cracked the door open a bit, revealing his satisfied grin. "Deal," he agreed, opening the door further and holding the doll out to Lucy, who eagerly snatched it from Natsu's hands and held it close to her chest.

Lucy glanced up after a moment, still keeping a tight hold on Michelle. "Why do you want to go to the roof, anyway?" she asked.

Natsu grinned and winked at her, reaching out a grabbing her hand. "It's a surprise. Come on, I'll show you." he tugged on her hand eagerly, and Lucy let out a halfhearted sound of protest before allowing herself to be dragged towards the door at the end of the hall, which allowed access to the orphanage roof. He gestured for Lucy to sit down.

"Sit there and watch," Natsu ushered, gesturing to a spot on the roof that was less dirty than the rest. Reluctantly, Lucy sat down, tucking her legs to one side. Natsu walked over to a where a small box laid on the roof, picking it up and holding it out to Lucy. "Happy birthday, Luce," he said with a grin.

Lucy blinked, shocked. Natsu remembered her birthday? Was that even possible? Someone must have tipped him off. Lucy shook her head once and carefully took the box from Natsu. "You remembered?" she asked softly, looking up at Natsu in disbelief. "But I never even told you my birthday! How'd you find out?"

"I asked Erza," Natsu replied proudly. "And I made you a gift. Open it!"

Lucy looked skeptical, but tore the paper away from the box, which was the size of a shoe box and covered in yellow construction paper. Not the prettiest, but Lucy didn't care. Inside the box was a single, small hair pin made from an abandoned bobby pin and what looked like a lot of glue and fabric. "You made this?" Lucy said, admiring the pin. It was in the shape of a blue flower, with blue paper petals jutting off the end and a shiny plastic jewel in the center.

Natsu nodded. "Lisanna helped me. She's better at that than I am," he explained. "But it was my idea, and I did most of the work. Lis just glued on everything."

Lucy reached up and carefully inserted the pin into her ponytail, which was kept in a half-up style on the left side of her head. "There," she said. "How does it look?"

Natsu grinned and gave her a double thumbs-up. "It looks great on you, Luce," he answered, ruffling her hair affectionately.

Lucy blushed, her cheeks tinting pink at his words. Even if Natsu was an idiot, way too dense, and teased her too much, he was also her best friend.

And her first crush. Lucy had known for a while now that she wanted to be with Natsu. She had even told Erza about Natsu, but the older girl had brushed it off as being a 'little kid's fantasy'. Lucy, however, was determined to prove Erza wrong one way or another.

"There's something else I want to tell you," Natsu added. Lucy looked up and frowned; she may only be seven, but she knew the look in her best friend's eyes. It was the guilty look he gave Erza when he didn't want to tell her something.

Lucy tilted her head slightly to the side. "What is it?" she asked. Natsu sat down beside her and stared across the grass, past the fenced courtyard and into the horizon. Lucy scooted closer to him until their shoulders brushed. "You know you can tell me anything you need to," she added.

Natsu nodded and took a long breath. "I'm being adopted," he said finally. "A nice man came yesterday while you were taking a nap and said he wanted to adopt me. I'm going to have a family, and Wendy too." Wendy was the baby of the orphanage, less than three years old.

Lucy's eyes lit up. "Wow, really?" she marvelled. "That's great! I want to meet your family!"

Natsu didn't look happy, though. "Do you get it?" he asked. "Getting adopted means I'm leaving here. My new Daddy and Mommy are going to fly on an airplane all the way to another country called Fiore. But..." he trailed off. "It means I have to leave you and my other friends."

Lucy's excited look quickly faded. Natsu would leave her? The thought was almost heartbreaking for her. She opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again. Natsu wasn't protesting. He wasn't threatening to burn anything. Natsu wanted to go with his new parents. She felt tears pool in her eyes and quickly covered her eyes with her hands.

"Lucy, don't cry," Natsu said, wrapping an arm around his friend's shoulders and hugging her. "Fiore isn't very far away. Igneel, my new Daddy, showed me a map. Maybe someday you can come visit!"

Lucy sniffed, wiping her tears away. "Natsu, will you make me a promise?" she asked.

Natsu nodded. "Of course," he replied.

Lucy fiddled with the hem of her skirt. "Promise that no matter how long we're apart, we'll always be best friends."

Natsu grinned. "Best friends forever," he agreed. He held up a hand, extending his pinky finger. "Pinky promise?" he suggested. Lucy smiled and hooked her pinky finger with his, sealing the promise.

The next day, Igneel and his wife, Grandine, showed up to pick up Natsu and Wendy. The young couple allowed Natsu some time to say good-bye, and he came up to Lucy and gave her a big hug. "Don't forget our promise," he reminded her.

"I won't," Lucy replied, and reached up to touch her flower pin. "And I'll wear this every day to help me remember." she smiled, but tears filled her eyes once more and she started to cry, hugging Natsu tightly.

Natsu hugged her back, patting her back reassuringly. "I have to go," he said, releasing Lucy. "I'll see you again real soon, okay Luce?" Lucy nodded wordlessly. Natsu took her hand for a moment and pressed something into it before stainding up and taking little Wendy's hand and she hobbled after him, following their new parents. They climbed into the car and Natsu gave Lucy one last look.

There was a smile on his face. A big, goofy grin like he always wore. It was radiant, and Lucy couldn't help but smile back as the car pulled out of the orphanage parking lot and disappeared from sight. She glanced down at the object in her hand and saw that it was a slip of paper with a short phrase written on it.

_"I love you, Luce."_

Ten years later, Lucy had broken one of her two promises to Natsu. His flower pin laid on her desk, the petals bent and creased but still in tact, the plastic gem in the middle missing. However, she never forgot him. In fact, it was quite the opposite. She couldn't forget him, no matter how hard she tried.

And she had tried, but her promise stuck in the back of her mind. Best friends forever. No doubt the dense idiot had forgotten long ago. He had a new best friend now, maybe even a girlfriend.

Lucy sighed nostalgically as she crunched the pages of the magazine in her hands. The open magazine depicted an article of the very man she was trying to forget. His hair was still as pink as ever, and he was wearing a very familiar goofy grin on his face. A scale-pattern scarf was wrapped around his neck, a stark contrast to his clothes, which looked made for summer. Who wears a scarf in summer anyway?

Lucy hummed lightly to herself, closing the magazine reluctantly and tucking it into her backpack. Perhaps she would read up on how he was doing later. She let her fingers dig into her palms a little and a sad look came over her. She wanted to go find him so badly, she even knew the guild he was a part of, Fairy Tail. But she couldn't go after him now. He was a celebrity, one of the stars of Sorcerer Weekly. She wasn't good enough for him.

But Lucy knew there was no way for her to forget him. She let her hand travel to where her key-ring was clipped to her belt. Since she was a child, she had added four silver keys and eight gold key to her collection, and had attained a greater magic power, to the point where she could possibly be the strongest Celestial Spirit mage. Or the only Celestial Spirit mage. They were rare these days.

She had considered joining a guild before, and the idea was appealing, but she had to be strong to get into one that would get her noticed by Natsu. She gritted her teeth.

Sabertooth. Lucy had been scouting out the new guild for a while now and it seemed promising. Plus, with the Grand Magic Games quickly approaching, she may be able to work her way onto Sabertooth's team.

Lucy's hand tightened on her keyring, a look of determination set on her face. "Lucy Heartfilia of Sabertooth," she murmured under her breath. "It has a nice ring to it."


	3. Fairy Tail For The Disabled

**3,649 words ;D That's pretty good in my standards. This is my newest idea/drabbely thingy, whatever you want to call it. It's called Fairy Tail for the Disabled. Lots of angst but also dramatic and humorous. I hope you guys like it! In a little bit I plan on updating another one of these, so please read and review on both of them if you can! That's how I know which ones people like! I'm actually really excited about this idea. I actually came up with this while watching an old Ellen DeGeneres episode xP**

**Summary: Lucy Heartfilia was having a great high school life, until an unfortunate accident causes her to lose the use of her legs. In order to get her some help, Lucy's father sends her to Fairy Tail, a house for the mentally disabled. Will Lucy be able to find her way in life when her future looks so dreary? Nalu, Gale, Gruvia, Jerza, my usual pairings.**

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A blond-haired girl stood at a lab table, a pair of goggles shielding her chocolate brown eyes. Her tongue poked out of her mouth a bit, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and she carefully added a few drops of the blue liquid in her hand to the mixture in the vial below her. Chemistry is fun, isn't it? The girl sighed and replaced the beaker, picking up a small bag filled with ash-gray powder. She glanced at the recipe next to her.

"Ten pinches of gunpowder," she murmured to herself, sticking a delicate hand into the bag and extracting the needed amount.

A blue-haired girl standing on the other end of the table from the blonde, and her eyes widened when she saw the powder in her friend's hand. "Lucy, wait!" she cried, but as the blond looked up, the dust in her hand fell into the beaker of chemicals. The blue-haired girl yelled fearfully.

Lucy glanced down at the beaker and her heart nearly stopped. Its contents were bubbling dangerously, and the beaker shuddered. Lucy only had time to let out a single terrified scream before the beaker exploded into a whirlwind of flames with a boom three times louder than thunder. The blonde was thrown back from the sheer force of the explosion, her body hitting the counter behind her with a sickening crack. Flames scorched her skin painfully, setting her nerves aflame. She let out a loud gasp as her head collided with the wall behind her and her vision went black, her body falling limply to the floor.

* * *

"Is she... will she wake..." The terrified voice echoed dully in Lucy's ears, coming into focus for a moment before fading out again. The steady sound of high-pitched ringing in her ears made her head throb, and Lucy groaned weakly. Her eyes refused to open.

"Lucy... hear me... come back..." the voice was still there, so familiar to her, yet still so distant. She reached out to the voice, her conscience yearning to see its source. She focused hard, so hard her head felt fit to burst, and reluctantly, her eyelids peeled open. Lucy squinted as light enveloped her vision, which was incredibly unfocused.

"Lu!" Lucy felt arms wrap tightly around her neck and she winced in pain as something solid settled on her arm, crushing it underneath. "Oh my god, Lu, you scared me so much!" Lucy felt tears drip onto her shoulder.

Lucy forced her eyes to focus and saw blue hair in front of her. "Levy..." she managed to croak out hoarsely, her throat rough and dry. She rubbed her eyes carefully to help clear them and focused on her friend. "You're... standing on my arm."

Levy gasped and abruptly jumped back. "Sorry!" she apologized quickly. "I was just so worried about you!" she fiddled with the hem of her skirt with one hand while her other hand clutched the railing of Lucy's bed.

Lucy narrowed her eyes slightly. Something was terribly wrong, she could sense it. "Levy, look at me."

Levy's head snapped up and her eyes turned to the wall behind Lucy's bed. "Um, yes?" she murmured nervously.

Lucy reached out and touched Levy's arm. "My eyes are down here," she whispered. "Levy, what happened to you?"

Levy's head snapped down sharply, then tears pricked her eyes. She quickly brushed them away. "Lu, when the beaker exploded, the flash was so bright that it damaged my eyes," she explained softly, her voice wavering. "They told me I wouldn't be able to see... for a while."

Lucy's mouth parted in shock, her brown eyes widening. "Oh, god," she whispered, her hands fisting in her hair. "Oh, god, what have I done?"

Levy squeezed Lucy's hand. "It's okay, Lu," she assured. "I've had a few days to come to terms. Besides, I'm more worried about you."

Lucy brushed a tear from her eye, turning to Levy. "But I'll be fine in a few months. But you..." she trailed off and looked down at her lap.

Levy took a sharp breath and bit her bottom lip. "Lu, you got the worst of everyone in the room. When you hit that table," she paused, sniffing. "It snapped your spine. They said you'd never walk again."

* * *

Since the revelation, Lucy hasn't been the same. She barely speaks and never smiles, and she only eats or sleeps when they tell her it's necessary. She had been living in the hospital for three months when Lucy received word that her father was sending her away.

"It's for the best," Jude insisted. "Fairy Tail has the best facilities for someone of your needs. They'll offer an education and a secure place to live, and people like you. Levy will be there as well."

Lucy glared furiously at her father. "So that's it, huh?" she cried, tears streaming from her eyes and down her cheeks. "You're just going to cast me aside like some kind of broken toy? Stop treating me like I'm worthless!"

Jude bit his lip and glared back. "I'm doing this for you," he replied. "Stop being an ungrateful brat and listen to me for once in your life!" he paused and sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I can't take care of you. They can. I'll pay for it. It will be a better environment for you, and there will be people like you there as well."

Lucy growled slightly, scowling at her father. "How could you do this to me without asking me?" she cried in disbelief. "The least you could do was tell me this was happening."

"The bus will pick you up at three o'clock," Jude interrupted. "Levy will accompany you. The nurse is bringing a wheelchair for you soon." he sighed and grasped his daughter's shoulders. "Please, just try to understand. I only want what's best for you. I'll be by with your things later."

And with that, he left, leaving Lucy to stare at the door disbelievingly. She groaned and collapsed onto the bed, her legs splayed out lifelessly in front of her. She laid there for ten minutes until the nurse entered the hospital room, pushing a folding wheelchair in front of her. Her long white hair was tied into a loose ponytail on top of her head, and her smile seemed to brighten up the dull room. "Good morning, Lucy," she greeted. "Finally, you'll be out of this boring place."

Lucy gave a halfhearted smile in return. "Good morning, Mirajane," she replied. "I suppose it's good, I'm just worried about having to go to a new place. Especially because Father didn't even consider asking me before he paid for it." she sighed slightly as Mira helped her into the wheelchair. It was a long and tedious process, but soon she was sitting comfortably, her lifeless legs strapped into braces below her. She gave a grateful smile to Mirajane before the white-haired nurse began to push her out of the hospital room.

"The bus is here," The receptionist called as Lucy came to the lobby area of the hospital. Mirajane thanked the nurse before directing Lucy's wheelchair to the front door and pushing her through the automatic sliding glass doors.

Levy was already waiting outside when Lucy appeared. Holding her arm was a red-haired woman, her stern gaze looking Lucy over critically before she gave a warm smile. "You must be Lucy Heartfilia," she greeted, gently leading Levy over. "My name is Erza Scarlet. You could call me the Youth in Command at Fairy Tail. I'll be your guide when we get to the building."

Lucy smiled at Erza and turned to Levy, reaching out to touch her friend's arm lightly. "Ready to go, Levy?" she asked uncertainly. Levy directed her sightless gaze to Lucy and nodded with a bright smile; Lucy wondered how she could still smile so much after the accident, as Lucy liked to call it.

Erza helped Levy onto the bus, and Mirajane pushed Lucy around to where a platform in the back would lift her into the bus. After Lucy was carefully secured into the bus seat, still in her new wheelchair, the bus began to move. Mirajane and Erza took seats with Levy and silently went over care procedures for the two newest members of Fairy Tail.

The bus ride was short and silent. Aside from the hushed whispers of Mirajane and Erza, the bus was deadly silent. Lucy sat with her hands clasped in her lap, staring down at them wordlessly. She wondered what her new life would be like. Jude had told her that the people there would be like her, physically or mentally disabled, whether from their birth or through an accident like she and Levy had been.

Lucy was interrupted from her thoughts by the bus' sudden stop, making her jerk forward slightly. She lifted her head as the back door of the bus opened and she was brought back down to the paved parking lot of a rather large building. Mirajane gave her a reassuring smile as she pushed Lucy towards the building, and Levy followed close behind, clinging to Erza's arm. Lucy stared up at the large sign hanging from the front of the building, which read "Fairy Tail" in large red letters with smaller letters underneath that read "For The Disabled". Her nervousness began to build up inside her, but for now she forced it down and put on a brave face.

Mirajane wheeled Lucy into the building, where she was met by a receptionist that looked a lot like her. The girl was younger, perhaps a teen like herself, with chin-length white hair and a friendly smile. "Good afternoon. You two must be the new additions," she greeted. "Names, please?"

"Lucy Heartfilia and Levy McGarden," Erza answered for them, stepping forward. "You should know by now that there's no need to check the roster, Lisanna." she gave the younger girl a kind smile.

Lisanna giggled. "Yes, I know, but Gramps requires it," she reminded the stern older woman. "Ah, here we are; Lucy and Levy. Go ahead and take them in."

Lucy immediately liked Lisanna. Perhaps she had nothing to worry about after all. Mirajane thanked the younger girl and began to push Lucy once more, heading down a hall and following Erza into a large room with a domed roof, where several tables were set up. People buzzed around the room, and Lucy's eyes widened in awe. There were people of all kinds here; children, teens, adults and seniors, all crowding together. Mirajane pushed her past the large meeting area and into a smaller room, an office of sorts. A remarkably tiny man sat at the desk at the back of the room, jotting down notes on a sheet of paper.

"Mr. Dreyar, the new additions are here," Erza announced, leading Levy down the short length of carpet towards the large square desk.

The man looked up, revealing a wrinkled face adorned by a white mustache befitting to him. He looked like one of the adorable grandfathers, the ones that smiled a lot, as was shown by the laugh lines around the man's mouth and eyes. "Good, good," he replied, setting down his pen. "Welcome to Fairy Tail for the Disabled. My name is Makarov Dreyar, but here, you are all my children. You may call me Grandpa," he began, a broad smile forming on his face. "I hope you enjoy your stay here. The facilities offered are only the finest to fit your needs. Erza, why don't you show them to the adolescent section of the building?"

Erza nodded. "Of course, Mr. Dreyar," she answered, to which Makarov shook his head. No matter what, he simply couldn't get Erza to drop the formalities around him. He waved her off lightly and the four of them left. Lucy thought it was a short meeting, but apparently Makarov had other plans for them. Mirajane pushed Lucy down a long hall, which was lined with neat, identical doors save it by a letter and number on each door. At the end of the door was a room not unlike the first, large one, except that the ceiling was flat and the room was smaller. Several teenagers milled around the room, chatting with each other or sitting in silence, some with books or computers, some on phones or portable gaming devices.

Erza went to the front of the room and perched on the edge of a desk, clearing her throat. "Attention, everyone!" she called. The noise in the room died as the teens turned to face the woman at the front of the room, curiosity in their eyes. "Today, we have a couple of new recruits," she began, gesturing to where Lucy and Levy stood, Levy now attached to Mirajane's arm. "This is Lucy Heartfilia and Levy McGarden. Introduce yourselves!"

Lucy sat in puzzled silence as the teens whispered amongst themselves until a young man, perhaps seventeen years old, approached them. A girl was hanging onto his arm, her curly blue hair covered by a warm-looking hat. He wasn't wearing a shirt and his dark hair fell in his eyes, but he didn't seem to mind. "Gray Fullbuster, chronic stripper," he introduced himself proudly. "This is my girlfriend, Juvia Lockser. She has abandonment issues." he jerked his arm for emphasis, but the woman continued to hold onto him, a bright smile on her face.

Levy giggled at the two. "Nice to meet you," she said. "I'm Levy, I'm blind, and this is Lucy. She was paralyzed, from the waist down."

"I see," Gray said with a nod. He glanced behind him, to where a tall, bulky man was approaching, his black hair slicked back, a disapproving frown on his face, which was covered with metal studs.

The man crossed his arms as he glanced down at the two girls. "Name's Gajeel Redfox. I dunno why I'm here," he grunted before leaving again, seeming disinterested in his new housemates.

Gray rolled his eyes. "Gajeel has trust issues," he explained. "His stepfather sent him here on a whim. He's not as bad as some of the rest of us." he turned and gestured to the other teens in the room. "Cana Alberona is over there. She's our teen drunkard. Can't go a day without a drink." he shook his head slightly, but there was a grin on his face. "Over there is the youngest of all of us, Wendy Marvell. She's deaf from birth, and mute because of it." he paused, glancing around. "Usually Natsu's there to interpret for her… I wonder where that flamebrain ran off to now?"

"Natsu?" Cana glanced up from her drink, pointing to the back room. "He went to grab something for his sister. Said he'd be right back."

Gray nodded. "Natsu is Wendy's brother. He usually interprets for her since not many of us know ASL fluently yet. He was a bit deformed as a child and had to have one leg amputated. He has a brace for it now, but for a while he was on crutches," Gray explained.

Lucy gave a slight nod. She was already taking a liking to Wendy. She was small and really cute; she couldn't be older than thirteen. Cana, however, made her more wary. She was chugging down more alcohol than Lucy could ever imagine someone holding without throwing up, and she still looked completely sober. Gray and Juvia seemed really nice, and aside from Gajeel's tough exterior, Lucy could tell he was a good guy underneath.

Erza tapped her foot impatiently on the ground. "Gray, go find Natsu for me, please," she said, her voicw more commanding than suggestive. The dark-haired boy stood and headed towards the back room and poked his head in. "Hey, what's taking so long?" he called irritabley.

The reply that came held a similar tone. "Buzz off! And for god's sake, put a shirt on, stripper!"

After a short handful of not-so-nice comments, Gray retracted his head from the doorway as a pencil case flew past him. A minute later, a man emerged from the room, his arms crossed and a deep scowl on his face. The oddest thing about him was his pink hair, the color of bubble gum. His black eyes trailed around the room until they landed on the two newcomers. Immediately his eyes lit up and his scowl turned into a bright grin. "These the newbies?" he asked. He walked towards them, and Lucy noticed he walked with a slight limp. It must have been his false leg. Natsu approached Lucy and held out his hand. "Natsu Dragneel, resident amputee," he introduced himself heartily.

Lucy smiled and shook his hand, which was larger than hers, rough and calloused. "Lucy Heartfilia," she replied. "I was paralyzed recently." she said the last part in a soft voice, a hint of remorse in her tone. "This is my best friend Levy. She's blind." Lucy gestured to her friend, who smiled sheepishly.

Erza cut in before Natsu could say anything more. "Natsu, I have a special task for you," she began. "You and Wendy have been here for a while, and most of us are good enough at ASL to communicate with her." she paused, and Natsu gave a slight nod. "I'd like to assign you to help care for Lucy here. As you've probably already guessed, she has lost the use of both her legs. She'll need some help until she's able to care for herself more."

Lucy blinked at Erza in surprise. "Erza, I assure you that I'm quite capable," she began, but Erza cut her off.

"Without the proper arm strength you can't even climb into bed," Erza pointed out. "Natsu, show Levy and Lucy to their new room please. Thank you for coming, Mirajane. You're free to go." she nodded once to Lucy before transferring Levy's hand to Lucy's arm.

Natsu sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Erza is scary sometimes," he muttered before taking hold of the handles of Lucy's wheelchair. "You passed through the girl's dorms on the way here, right?" Lucy nodded, and Natsu smiled at her. "The girl's dorms are on the east side of the building and the boy's on the west. Girls are not allowed in the boy's dorms after ten o'clock at night and vice versa. Keep your room clean, be respectful to your neighbors, you get the deal." he grinned at the two girls, and Lucy gave a small smile in return.

Natsu turned down the corridor to the girl's dorms, pausing at an open door. "Erza figured you two should room together, having already known each other and whatnot, so this is your room," he explained. "There's two beds and two nightstands, but only one dresser and one closet. There's also a full-length mirror. The bathrooms are at the middle of the hall."

Lucy nodded. "Thanks," she murmured. She grasped the two wheels of her wheelchair tightly and pushed herself forward, glancing around the room. She was pleasantly surprised to see her possessions were already stacked neatly in a corner. Levy's parents had already dropped off her stuff.

"Need help with your boxes?" Natsu asked, leaning on the door frame.

Lucy shook her head. "We'll be fine," she answered.

Natsu frowned slightly. "I find it hard to believe that a blind girl and a cripple could unpack all these boxes by themselves," he stated bluntly. He hadn't meant it to be mean, he was only stating the truth, but it made Lucy freeze and reconsider her decision to listen to her father for now.

Lucy clenched her fists and opened her mouth to say something when Natsu interrupted her. "Geez, I'm sorry," he said quickly, running a hand through his hair. "I have a habit of saying what comes to my mind." he looked away.

Lucy sighed softly. "It's alright," she answered. "I just have to come to terms with my condition. I know that I'll never walk again."

Levy squeezed Lucy's hand reassuringly. "It's okay, Lu," she murmured.

Erza poked her head into the room. "Natsu, stop pestering the poor girls!" she scolded. "Mr. Dreyar wishes to speak with you. I trust that you ladies will be able to get settled on your own?"

Lucy glanced at Levy doubtfully, but gave a nod. "Yeah, we'll be fine," she answered.

Erza nodded professionally and turned to Natsu, who looked doubtful about leaving the two girls along. She glared, a glare intense enough to strike fear into the hearts of the bravest men. "Natsu! What did I tell you?" she snapped. "Go to Mr. Dreyar's office, now!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Natsu stuttered, and saluted Erza before slipping past the older woman and into the hallway. Immediately he took off, disappearing around the corner.

Erza sighed and shook her head. "Those boys never learn," she said, then shrugged. "I'll come check on you two after everyone else is sorted out. Don't be afraid to ask someone if you have questions." she bid the two farewell before heading back towards the main room of the adolescent section of FT.

Lucy glanced up at Levy, and both girls burst into fits of giggles. "Levy, I think I'm going to like it here."


	4. Outcast

**Hello! Time for another story idea! I've been coming up with a lot lately. I don't even remember where this idea began, but now it's become something I look forward to possibly writing more of. I hope you guys like it! This is non-canon but not really AU. It's Mesdy and takes place when Wendy is eighteen. I hope you guys like it! Please review and tell me what you think!**

**Summary: Wendy Marvell is a part of a dying race of humans, one despised by many of the people in her country of Fiore. She lives a life of solitude, concealing her powers, until one day a man stumbles upon her and introduces her to a completely new world filled with people of her own kind. Things are not good for her people, however. The townspeople will do everything in their power to silence them, and Wendy isn't sure if she'll be strong enough to stop it. As mysteries begin to unfold and the truth comes to light, Wendy must somehow balance the weight of being a mage with the weight of her scattered relationship with Mest.**

* * *

A dark moon shone dimly in the night sky, its blue-gray glow casting faint shadows on the cold ground below. A low hill stood amidst a field of flowers, which swayed gently in the breeze. This was my house. Of course, you couldn't see it from the outside. My magic made sure that no one could find me. It had to be that way. I was already in danger, living so close to a town. Even now, I find it hard to believe that it's been five years since that fateful night. I was only eighteen when a stranger happened upon my humble home during the morning. But before I tell you that story, I should tell you a different one.

The country I live in is called Fiore. It is a peaceful town filled with trade and industry, an ideal place to live.

The people of Fiore are a proud and unmovable people. They are strong believers of tradition and once they are set in one mind, it can be difficult to persuade them otherwise. However, along with this spawns a deep hatred for foreigners, especially those who are different from them. This is how Mages came to be the most hated race in the country.

This is where I come in. My name is Wendy Marvell. I am writing this tale so that my children, and their children, down until my memory is faded and worthless, will know of the incredible struggle I braved through to ensure their safety. I am a peaceful woman of twenty-three years, with a husband and a daughter of two years. I was born in the town of Maple, Fiore, to Rose Alabaster and Haru Marvell, though they didn't raise me.

I was raised by a dragon. It must sound incredibly far-fetched, but for the first six years of my life, I learned magic from the dragon Grandine. At the tender age of seven, I was abandoned by her and left to myself. I met a young boy by the name of Jellal, who taught me of the world. He too was a magic user. He warned me that the regular people, those who didn't possess magic, hated us, and if we were discovered we would be killed. I would later learn that this is what happened to my own parents.

Jellal traveled with me for a short while, the span of which was roughly a month, before he took me to a mage guild, one of the few still remaining. Cait Shelter was my home for many years until it was destroyed and burned by magic oppressors from a nearby city. The only possession I had was a small pendant, a flat, round tablet about as big around as a baseball, with an inscription etched into the polished bronze that read 'peek reh efas rof em, Mest.' I didn't know what kind of language the words were in, but the item struck me as valuable, so I kept it in my pocket at all hours of the day.

This is where my story begins.

* * *

I sighed heavily as I sat in the single chair in front of a small desk, a book laying open in front of me. My eyes drooped sleepily and I was tempted to go back to bed, but I knew that was not an option. I had lots of work to do today. I always did. Closing the book, I replaced it on the floor-to-ceiling bookshelf at the back of the tiny bedroom, glancing at the checklist on the back of my bedroom door. I was forgetful, but thankfully, organized. I pulled a magic pen from its holder beside the checklist and tapped it on my chin as I stared at the first item.

Smiling to myself, I hummed a made-up tune as I began to organize the papers on my desk. There weren't a lot, mainly small notes I had jotted to myself, but I still had to organize them every time I went through them. I made my way down the list of to-dos before heading outside to tend to my garden.

I didn't live in the city, so I made my money by growing fruits and vegetables in my garden and selling them in the local town. I had to be careful to keep my appearance hidden. My blue hair was sure to give away the fact that I was a mage. Mages were not very well received in these parts of the country, so I had to wear a wig and hide my magic when I went to town.

I continued to hum to myself as I worked in the garden, picking the foods that were ready to be harvested and leaving the still-growing ones for later. By the end of the day I had a full basket of food to sell at the local town marketplace. I hoisted the basket into my hands, but when I looked up from the garden I spotted someone I had not seen before, standing outside the walls of the magical barrier I had put up around the house. There must have been only five feet of space between us.

The strangest part was that he was staring back at me.

My first reaction was to panic. Was my magic faulty? The barriers I had set up were meant to keep my house hidden from people who might try to visit. If the townspeople discovered my magic, I would be dead for sure.

For a long moment, the two of us simply stared at each other. I was too afraid to move, the basket's handle clenched so tightly in my hand that the straw dug into my fingers painfully.

"W-Who are you?" I managed to speak first, my voice shaking as much as the rest of me.

The man blinked at me, his luminescent green eyes filled with a mix of emotions. "Mest Gryder," he responded. "You're Wendy Marvell?" he held my gaze evenly, and I felt my heart jump. He must be a mage. Either that or he wasn't intimidated by them.

I shrank under Mest's scrutinizing green gaze, holding the basket to my chest in some crude form of protection. "How do you know my name?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes. "How did you find me? Nobody knows where I live."

Mest gave me a kind smile, the kind that would melt a girl's heart if she wasn't as protected as I was. I k ew better than to fall for charm. "I'm a friend," he said vaguely. "I'm also a mage. You could say I'm a field agent searching out new talent." he waved his hand in the air expressively before sliding his fingers through his neat black hair. He took a step forward, bridging the gap between us and crossing the barrier that would normally keep my hidden from human eyes. Mage eyes were different, though. They saw through most magic, and Mest Gryder seemed to be an exceptionally perceptive man to notice my magic and see through it.

My breath caught as he stepped forward. He was more than a full head taller than me and several years older, with a friendly face containing a bright smile and an x-shaped scar that crossed his right eye. To be short, he was quite handsome, with broad shoulders and posture that automatically made you assume he was strong. "Are you looking for something?" I asked, glancing down at the basket held in front of me, which nearly touched his legs.

"I want to talk to you, Ms. Marvell," Mest answered, keeping his voice low. "I have information that will be beneficial to you. I was a friend of your mother's." I raised my head and met his eyes, a shocked expression on my face.

"You knew Grandine?" I repeated. Was that possible? Grandine had never mentioned a mage boy before.

Mest shook his head. "No, your real mother. Rose Alabaster," he replied. "I knew her before you were born." his eyes betrayed none of his emotion, their clear, expressionless glow offering no comfort to me.

I let my eyes fall to my feet once more. Mest knew my mother, the woman I had only a vague remembrance of. I scrunched my eyebrows together. Mest... I knew that name from somewhere, but I couldn't place it.

"How old are you?" Mest interrupted my thoughts and made my snap my head up, slightly startled. I had a tendency to let my mind wander aimlessly. I flushed, somewhat embarrassed.

I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear before replying, "Eighteen." I wondered why he needed my age.

Mest gave me a broad grin. "Perfect," he said, and raised his wrist to his face, as if checking the time on a watch. He tapped it three times. "Tell Natsu I've found the new recruit. She's just the right age to begin," he said clearly.

After a moment, a woman's voice replied, "Roger that." My eyes widened. How had he done that? "Bring her over ASAP."

"Woah, woah," I interrupted. "I'm not going anywhere with you." I folded my arms stubbornly. No way I was just going to leave my home with some stranger to go do who-knows-what. Plus, there was Carla, my cat, to think of. She was more of a human than a cat, though. She'd been on a trip all day, visiting her cousin. But I'm getting off topic again now. "You can go find some other sucker to play games with." I didn't know where this bravery was coming from, but I was not about to go off with some stranger.

Mest let his hand drop to his side once more. "I don't expect you to agree right away," he said, and gestured to my house. "May I come in? I'll explain everything to you there."

I hesitated, which was only natural. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt," I conceded at last. He may be a stranger, but he was also a mage, and he seemed friendly enough, if a bit mysterious. I led him inside, towards the small couch that made up my living space. I gestured for Mest to sit down.

Mest obliged, making himself comfortable on the small couch. I pulled up a chair across from him and sat down, crossing my legs. "I believe you owe me an explanation?" I began, skipping the niceties and getting right to the point. "You said you knew my mother?"

Mest nodded. "I met Rose when I was twelve years old," he explained. "I was living at the orphanage, and she was a new employee looking to earn money. At the time she was a few months pregnant with you." he paused, crossing his legs. "She worked there for less than a year when she died at the hospital. They said she was sickly her whole life, and she couldn't keep up with herself. She died of an overload of magic. As a mage, she had too much magical energy. Combined with her already weakened state, it was too much for her."

I clenched my teeth and pressed my fingertips into my palms. "I was less than two when she died," I murmured. "My father was killed by oppressors, right?" Oppressors, people who despise magic and think people who wield it are evil. "What about me being a 'new recruit'? A recruit for what?"

"A recruit for the rebellion," Mest answered. My eyes widened. A rebellion? "As a young mage, I'm sure you know about how the people of this country are not very... supportive of magic users. I'm part of a rebellion to change the people's opinion of mages."

I bit my lip. "I'm no fighter," I murmured softly, looking down at my lap. "Besides, I'm quite happy to be here, by the town. I make plenty of money, I have a safe place to live, what else do I need?"

"You're an awful liar," Mest replied bluntly, and I tensed at his words. "You're not happy here. I can tell you're an honest girl. You don't like having to lie to people, even to save your life." he paused, frowning at her. "When I mentioned your name, someone recognized it. A guy named Jellal."

My eyes widened even more, if that was even possible, and for a moment I forgot how to breath. "Jellal's there?" I whispered in a shocked voice. My best childhood friend, though I'd only known him for a month. "Why didn't you say so in the first place?!" I jumped to my feet, already thinking about preparations for moving, and I would need to explain to Carla as well. "I accept your offer!"

Mest blinked, and I stared at his baffled face in amusement. "Come pick me up tomorrow," I said, shooing him towards the door. "I have a lot of packing to do!"

"W-Wait!" Mest cried, obviously still very confused. I giggled at his cute expression as I pushed him onto my front porch. "It's going to take a while to convince Carla, and then I have to pack and make preparations. Come pick me up tomorrow morning. I'll be waiting," I repeated, flipping my hair over one shoulder. Then I promptly shut the door in his face. It was a bit rude, I admit, but if Mest wanted me to come with him, he'd have to accept that I'm a little pushy sometimes.

I sighed and went to my room, pulling a suitcase from under my bed. I didn't have much in the way of material possessions, mainly practical things; clothes, money, a few accessories, and some keepsakes, like the bronze pendant in my pocket. I pulled the circle from my pocket and brushed my thumb over the smooth surface, feeling the rough cuts of the engravings underneath. I read the inscription out loud to myself, "peek ref efas roh em, Mest."

Then I froze. Mest. I knew that name sounded familiar! Perhaps Mest Gryder was connected to this pendant somehow? How many people could have a name like Mest. It didn't seem common. I shook my head and set the pendant on top of my suitcase. I could show it to Mest tomorrow.

Yawning, I rubbed my eyes sleepily and curled up on my bed, tugging the blanket over my small body. Carla would be returning tonight, which meant I wouldn't have a lot of time to explain things to her. I just hoped she wouldn't be too angry. I stifled a second yawn and snuggled into the soft fabric of my comforter, easily fall asleep. There would be time to worry in the morning.


	5. Fated

**Yay, a new story idea! I actually love this story; it was inspired by the Mortal Instruments series and the Torn trilogy. This took me approximately an hour to type, I was so excited about it! xD anyway, I hop you like it! Please drop a review and tell me what you think, even if it's to say that it's crap and that I should never do it. Make sure to read my other story snippets as well! This story is called Fated! It's a Nalu ;D**

**Summary: Ever since she was a child, Lucy Heartfilia has been a firm believer of fate, that everything happens for a specific reason. Which is why she can't help but wonder if it was fate that a nineteen-year-old boy would fall out of the sky and land on the hood of her car. "How are you not dead?!" "I'm not human" "Then what are you?"**

* * *

_"Mama?" a little girl called out, brushing her blonde hair from her face. She played with the buttons on her mother's jacket, staring down at her hands._

_"Yes, Lucy?" Layla smiled down at her daughter, her mirror image, and continued to run the hairbrush through the five-year-old girl's hair._

_Lucy frowned a bit, clasping her hands together. "How did you know daddy was your true love?" she asked, glancing up to see the shocked look on her mother's face. "You always talk about how when you first saw daddy you fell in love with him, but how did you know it was him and not someone else?"_

_Layla's shocked expression melted into soft amusement as she set the hairbrush down on the bedside table and turned Lucy around to face her, setting the small child on her lap. "I knew it because as soon as I saw him, my heart started to beat faster, and I felt really nervous to be around him. Plus, my mother, your grandmother, used to tell me all the time about how you fall in love because in heaven, you had a partner, someone who would do anything for you, but when you were sent to earth you forget who that person is until you meet them again. When that meeting happens, it's called fate."_

_"But how will I know when I meet him?" Lucy pressed. "What if I don't know who my heaven-partner was? What if I never find him?"_

_Layla chuckled lightly and bent over to kiss her daughter's forehead lightly. "You'll know it when it happens," she promised._

* * *

As Lucy thought back on the story, she realized how naive she must have been as a child to blindly believe in such a story. Talking about heaven and your fated match, it just seemed silly to her now, but she couldn't help but remember the story whenever she met a new guy. She'd had several boyfriends over the course of her seventeen years of life, and none of them had had the effect on her that she had expected. Try as she might, she couldn't help but believe those stories now.

Lucy sighed as she ran a hairbrush through her hair, humming a soft tune to herself. She smiled down at the photo on her bedside table, her mother's image smiling back at her. Eight years, she thought to herself. Eight years since she died. Her mother had been her closest and only real friend, as her upbringing had not allowed her to mingle much with other children, and she missed her horribly.

Sighing, Lucy set down the brush and tied her hair up into her usual side ponytail. Today she used a purple ribbon, but tomorrow she would use a blue one, and the next a green. She threw on a matching purple and white top and some jean shorts, checking herself in the mirror before giving herself a satisfactory smile.

Lucy paused in the hallway of the large house she now ran, glancing up at the calendar, and frowned. Noticing that the month was no longer Junem, she flipped the calendar to July, staring at the red circle that marked her birthday. July 1st. "Happy birthday to me," she sighed, a longing edge to her voice, but she quickly shook off the feelings.

Yes, today was her birthday, her eighteenth, in fact, though in reality it wasn't much was different from any other day. Her footsteps echoed as she descended the wooden stairs, feeling the eerie quiet around her. Silence really is deafening.

Lucy ate a meager breakfast of a granola bar and a small glass of milk before she gathered up her supplies for the day. She worked at a nearby bookstore, though with the amount of money she had been left as inheritance when her parents died, she could live off her money for her entire life and have extra to spare. She had a hardworking girl, though, and was intent on having a good amount of money left for her children so that they could be sufficiently cared for after she was gone.

Lucy slung her purse over her shoulder so that it leaned against her hip, and headed out to the garage where her car was parked, a simple yet practical cherry red vehicle that still housed that new car smell. She put the car in reverse and backed out of her garage , turning onto the street and turning up her radio, singing along to the song that blared from her speakers.

Yes, Lucy Heartfilia led a relatively good life. She had just graduated high school, meaning there was only college left for her, and with her nearly impeccable grades she had no doubts that she could get into whatever school she pleased. Not to mention the fact that if it was for her education, she wouldn't mind dropping the fact that she was Jude Heartfilia's daughter. People tended to find that information significant.

Her parents had died when she was quite young, she only being ten when her mother took sick and passed and being only fifteen when her father died, leaving his fortune, his company, and everything else to his only child. Of course she had given the company to someone more suited to the job; there was no way she was taking on the responsibility of an entire company along with her schooling and other obligations. She had no intention of taking over her father's konzern anyway. The whole prospect bored her.

Lucy sighed as she leaned forward slightly onto the steering wheel, frowning. Magnolia was so boring, and so was everything else in her life.

With that one thought, her life changed forever. Glancing out the window, Lucy noticed that the people on the street had frozen, and most were staring up at the sky. Cars were veering from the road, seeking shelter, but as Lucy peered out the window, she couldn't see the source of the commotion. She frowned and her eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully, and she pulled her head back inside the window, returning to her driving.

Not seconds after, her view was obstructed by an unidentified object crashing into her windshield. She screamed, her hands flying to her face to protect it from the shards of glass that exploded towards her, and her car ran off the road, running straight into something solid with a sickening crash. She gasped as her body was flung forward by the sheer force of the collision, her seatbelt digging painfully into her shoulder and waist as her head was thrown forward. She threw her hands in front of her and braced them against the dashboard, wincing at the resounding sparks of pain that flared in her wrists as a result.

Lucy raised one hand to her chest, breathing hard and wondering if she was dead. She could feel her frantic pulse, though, so she guessed she was most likely still living. Thank God for seatbelts. She scowled at the spot where her airbag should have deployed from, silently cursing whoever designed cars these days. She quickly checked herself for major injuries, but except for the small cuts and gashes on her arms, she was just stunned. She reached out and tried the handle on her door, and the door popped open after a bit of jostling.

Lucy brushed her hair from her face, as she climbed out of the car, ignoring her dirty, somewhat shredded clothing and turning around to examine the damages. Her eyes widened at the sight; The entire front of her car had smashed and collapsed like an accordion, the jagged folds of metal uneven and sharp. Her windshield was shattered and had holes in several places, and the front was bent entirely around a tall, sturdy tree. "My _car_!" she screeched, grabbing handfuls of her hair as she stared, slack-jawed, at what used to be her car. This was going to cost a fortune to repair!

What she saw next was just as shocking, if not more. Splayed out on the front of her car with his front leaning against the tree was a boy, a teenager perhaps a few years older than Lucy herself, his body a lattice of torn clothing and jagged gashed. Blood leaked from several wounds on his body and Lucy covered her mouth with both hands, swallowing hard. "Oh my god! She exclaimed, rushing forward and touching the boy lightly on the shoulder. "Are you okay? Oh god, did I hit you?" she glanced up then, her eyes running over the crowd that had gathered. She pointed to a brunette on the edge of the crowd. "Call an ambulance!" she ordered.

She was going to say more, but she was interrupted by a grunt from the boy behind her, and she turned around anxiously, gripping the boy's shoulder. The teen had pushed himself up onto one elbow and was rubbing his forehead with his other hand, a dazed look in his eyes. "Gray, you-" he cut himself off as his dark eyes met Lucy's, and then widened. He shot up into a sitting position. "You're not Gray!" he accused, pointing at her. "You're a weird stranger!"

Lucy felt a small tick of irritation at his comment, but her surprise and worry was much greater than whatever annoyance she might feel at the stranger's blunt comment. "Are you okay?" she exclaimed, grabbing both of his arms and giving him a once-over.

The boy frowned and pushed her arms away. "Stop checking me out, you weirdo," he said, hopping off of the car's hood and turning around to examine the damage. He ran a hand through his odd rose-colored hair. "Well, shoot. When I fell out of the sky, I didn't expect to fall onto someone's car," he muttered. He flashed Lucy a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that."

Lucy just stood there, baffled, for a moment, then shook her head. "How are you not dead?" she cried, throwing her arms up in the air. "I hit you full-on with my car, and then we crashed into a tree… did you say you _fell out of the sky_?!" This was officially too much for her to handle.

The boy froze. "Shit," he muttered under his breath. "This is a problem. Well then, guess I should fix it before Erza yells at me." he turned to face the crowd and lifted his hand, a dull red light glowing in the palm of his hand as he held it, face up, towards the crowd. "_Oblitus,_" he said in a loud, clear voice, and the air seemed to shimmer slightly as Lucy watched him, her thoughts so mixed and confused that she could only stand and watch as he worked.

Slowly, the faces on the people gathered around went from worried and surprised to perplexed and baffled, as if they had just woken up from some sort of dream. Uncertain murmurs circled throughout the crowd before the began to walk away, returning to whatever business that had been attending before the crash.

For a moment Lucy just stared at the strange pink-haired boy, too stunned and confused to say anything. "Who are you?" she whispered, too shocked to form any other words.

The boy turned to gape at her in surprise, lowering his hand. "The _oblitus_ didn't work on you?" he exclaimed, shocked. "This is new." he rubbed his chin with one hand, frowning at her. Lucy gulped nervously under his intense stare, her black eyes holding some sort of odd emotion in them that she couldn't explain. Wonder, perhaps? Awe? It was hard to tell. Then he suddenly reached out and gripped her wrist, tugging her away from her wrecked car. "Come with me!" he said quickly.

Lucy gasped and immediately tried to pry her wrist from his grip, but his hand closed around hers like iron, cutting off her escape. "Let me go!" she cried in outrage. "No way I'm letting you kidnap me!" she struggled as the boy continued to pull her, ignoring her argument as he tugged her into a nearby alleyway. He pressed her against the wall and covered her mouth.

"Quiet!" the boy hissed in a low whisper, casting glances to the alley entrance. After a moment he removed his hand from Lucy's mouth. "Before you say anything else, let me explain myself."

Lucy bit her lip and considered screaming, but what she had just witnessed was anything but normal, and she couldn't deny the fact that she was curious. "How are you not dead right now?" she asked, meeting his gaze. "I was driving sixty, and you fell from the sky, and we hit a tree… how are you still alive after all that?"

"I'm not human," the boy replied. "And to answer your earlier question, I'm Natsu Dragneel. Who are you?"

Lucy blinked in disbelief, but swallowed nervously before replying, "Lucy Heartfilia." she paused, chewing on her bottom lip. "If you're not human, then what are you?" Her first instinct was to, of course, telling him he was a lunatic and that he should be instituted in a mental hospital, but after what she saw today, she doubted any regular human could pull off what Natsu just did.

Natsu gave her a blinding grin, his onyx black eyes shining. "I'm a mage. And so are you."


End file.
